Sámi peoples
The Sámi (/ˈsɑːmi/ SAH-mee; also spelled Sami or Saami) are the traditionally Sámi-speaking peoples inhabiting the region of Sápmi, which today encompasses large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Kola Peninsula in Russia. The region of Sápmi was formerly known as Lapland, and the Sámi have historically been known in English as Lapps or Laplanders, but these terms are regarded as offensive by the Sámi, who prefer the area's name in their own languages, e.g. Northern Sámi Sápmi. Their traditional languages are the Sámi languages, which are classified as a branch of the Uralic language family.
Sámit (Northern Sámi) Saemieh (Southern Sámi) Sáme (Lule and Pite Sámi) Sämmiliih (Inari Sámi) Säʹmmla (Skolt Sámi) Са̄мь (Kildin Sámi) | |
|---|---|
| Total population | |
| Estimated 80,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Sápmi 63,831–107,341 | |
| Norway | 37,890–60,000 |
| Sweden | 14,600–36,000 |
| Finland | 9,350 |
| Russia | 1,991 |
| United States | 480 (first ancestry) 945 (first and second) |
| Ukraine | 136 (2001) |
| Languages | |
| Sámi languages (Akkala, Inari, Kildin, Kemi, Lule, Northern, Pite, Skolt, Ter, Southern, Ume) Russian, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish | |
| Religion | |
| Sámi Shamanism Christianity (Lutheranism (including Laestadianism), Eastern Orthodoxy) | |
Traditionally, the Sámi have pursued a variety of livelihoods, including coastal fishing, fur trapping, and sheep herding. Their best-known means of livelihood is semi-nomadic reindeer herding. As of 2007 about 10% of the Sámi were connected to reindeer herding, which provides them with meat, fur, and transportation; around 2,800 Sámi people were actively involved in reindeer herding on a full-time basis in Norway. For traditional, environmental, cultural, and political reasons, reindeer herding is legally reserved for only Sámi in some regions of the Nordic countries.